over the teacups-第37章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



or　Mrs。　So…and…So。　　My　readers　must　remember　that　there　are　very　many

pretty；　sweet；　amiable　girls　and　women　sitting　at　their　pianos；　and

finding　chords　to　the　music　of　their　heart…strings。　　If　I　have

pictured　Number　Five　as　one　of　her　lambs　might　do　it；　I　have

succeeded　in　what　I　wanted　to　accomplish。　　Why　don't　I　describe　her

person？　　If　I　do；　some　gossip　or　other　will　be　sure　to　say；　〃Oh；　he

means　her；　of　course；〃　and　find　a　name　to　match　the　pronoun。



It　is　strange　to　see　how　we　are　all　coming　to　depend　upon　the

friendly　aid　of　Number　Five　in　our　various　perplexities。　　The

Counsellor　asked　her　opinion　in　one　of　those　cases　where　a　divorce

was　too　probable；　but　a　reconciliation　was　possible。　　It　takes　a

woman　to　sound　a　woman's　heart；　and　she　found　there　was　still　love

enough　under　the　ruffled　waters　to　warrant　the　hope　of　peace　and

tranquillity。　　The　young　Doctor　went　to　her　for　counsel　in　the　case

of　a　hysteric　girl　possessed　with　the　idea　that　she　was　a　born

poetess；　and　covering　whole　pages　of　foolscap　with　senseless

outbursts；　which　she　wrote　in　paroxysms　of　wild　excitement；　and　read

with　a　rapture　of　self…admiration　which　there　was　nothing　in　her

verses　to　justify　or　account　for。　　How　sweetly　Number　Five　dealt　with

that　poor　deluded　sister　in　her　talk　with　the　Doctor！　　〃Yes；〃　she

said　to　him；　〃nothing　can　be　fuller　of　vanity；　self…worship；　and

self…deception。　　But　we　must　be　very　gentle　with　her。　　I　knew　a　young

girl　tormented　with　aspirations；　and　possessed　by　a　belief　that　she

was　meant　for　a　higher　place　than　that　which　fate　had　assigned　her；

who　needed　wholesome　advice；　just　as　this　poor　young　thing　does。　　She

did　not　ask　for　it；　and　it　was　not　offered。　　Alas；　alas！　　'no　man

cared　for　her　soul；'no　man　nor　woman　either。　　She　was　in　her　early

teens；　and　the　thought　of　her　earthly　future；　as　it　stretched　out

before　her；　was　more　than　she　could　bear；　and　she　sought　the　presence

of　her　Maker　to　ask　the　meaning　of　her　abortive　existence。　We　will

talk　it　over。　　I　will　help　you　take　care　of　this　child。〃



The　Doctor　was　thankful　to　have　her　assistance　in　a　case　with　which

he　would　have　found　it　difficult　to　deal　if　he　had　been　left　to；　his

unaided　judgment；　and　between　them　the　young　girl　was　safely　piloted

through　the　perilous　straits　in　which　she　came　near　shipwreck。



I　know　that　it　is　commonly　said　of　her　that　every　male　friend　of　hers

must　become　her　lover　unless　he　is　already　lassoed　by　another。　　Il

fait　passer　par　l'a。　　The　young　Doctor　is；　I　think；　safe；　for　I　am

convinced　that　he　is　bewitched　with　Delilah。　　Since　she　has　left　us；

he　has　seemed　rather　dejected；　I　feel　sure　that　he　misses　her。　　We

all　do；　but　he　more　seriously　than　the　rest　of　us。　　I　have　said　that

I　cannot　tell　whether　the　Counsellor　is　to　be　counted　as　one　of

Number　Five's　lambs　or　not；　but　he　evidently　admires　her；　and　if　he

is　not　fascinated；　looks　as　if　he　were　very　near　that　condition。



It　was　a　more　delicate　matter　about　which　the　Tutor　talked　with　her。

Something　which　she　had　pleasantly　said　to　him　about　the　two　Annexes

led　him　to　ask　her；　more　or　less　seriously；　it　may　be　remembered；

about　the　fitness　of　either　of　them　to　be　the　wife　of　a　young　man　in

his　position。　　She　talked　so　sensibly；　as　it　seemed　to　him；　about　it

that　he　continued　the　conversation；　and；　shy　as　he　was；　became　quite

easy　and　confidential　in　her　company。　　The　Tutor　is　not　only　a　poet；

but　is　a　great　reader　of　the　poetry　of　many　languages。　　It　so

happened　that　Number　Five　was　puzzled；　one　day；　in　reading　a　sonnet

of　Petrarch；　and　had　recourse　to　the　Tutor　to　explain　the　difficult

passage。　　She　found　him　so　thoroughly　instructed；　so　clear；　so　much

interested；　so　ready　to　impart　knowledge；　and　so　happy　in　his　way　of

doing　it；　that　she　asked　him　if　he　would　not　allow　her　the　privilege

of　reading　an　Italian　author　under　his　guidance；　now　and　then。



The　Tutor　found　Number　Five　an　apt　scholar；　and　something　more　than

that；　for　while；　as　a　linguist；　he　was；　of　course；　her　master；　her

intelligent　comments　brought　out　the　beauties　of　an　author　in　a　way

to　make　the　text　seem　like　a　different　version。　　They　did　not　always

confine　themselves　to　the　book　they　were　reading。　　Number　Five　showed

some　curiosity　about　the　Tutor's　relations　with　the　two　Annexes。　　She

suggested　whether　it　would　not　be　well　to　ask　one　or　both　of　them　in

to　take　part　in　their　readings。　　The　Tutor　blushed　and　hesitated。

〃Perhaps　you　would　like　to　ask　one　of　them；〃　said　Number　Five。

〃Which　one　shall　it　be？〃　　〃It　makes　no　difference　to　me　which；〃　he

answered；〃　but　I　do　not　see　that　we　need　either。〃　　Number　Five　did

not　press　the　matter　further。　　So　the　young　Tutor　and　Number　Five

read　together　pretty　regularly；　and　came　to　depend　upon　their　meeting

over　a　book　as　one　of　their　stated　seasons　of　enjoyment。　　He　is　so

many　years　younger　than　she　is　that　I　do　not　suppose　he　will　have　to

pass　par　la；　as　most　of　her　male　friends　have　done。　　I　tell　her

sometimes　that　she　reminds　me　of　my　Alma　Mater；　always　young；　always

fresh　in　her　attractions；　with　her　scholars　all　round　her；　many　of

them　graduates；　or　to　graduate　sooner　or　later。



What　do　I　mean　by　graduates？　　Why；　that　they　have　made　love　to　her；

and　would　be　entitled　to　her　diploma；　if　she　gave　a　parchment　to　each

one　of　them　who　had　had　the　courage　to　face　the　inevitable。　　About

the　Counsellor　I　am；　as　I　have　said；　in　doubt。　　Who　wrote　that

〃I　Like　You　and　I　Love　You；〃　which　we　found　in　the　sugar…bowl　the


other　day？　　Was　it　a　graduate　who　had　felt　the　〃icy　dagger；〃　or　only

a　candidate　for　graduation　who　was　afraid　of　it？　　So　completely　does

she　subjugate　those　who　come　under　her　influence　that　I　believe　she

looks　upon　it　as　a　matter　of　course　that　the　fateful　question　will

certainly　come；　often　after　a　brief　acquaintance。　　She　confessed　as

much　to　me；　who　am　in　her　confidence；　and　not　a　candidate　for

graduation　from　her　academy。　　Her　graduatesher　lambs　I　called　them

are　commonly　faithful　to　her；　and　though　now　and　then　one　may　have

gone　off　and　sulked　in　solitude；　most　of　them　feel　kindly　to　her；　and

to　those　who　have　shared　the　common　fate　of　her　suitors。　　I　do　really

believe　that　some　of　them　would　be　glad　to　see　her　captured　by　any

one；　if　such　there　can　be；　who　is　worthy　of　her。　　She　is　the　best　of

friends；　they　say；　but　can　she　love　anybody；　as　so　many　other　women

do；　or　seem　to？　　Why　shouldn't　our　Musician；　who　is　evidently　fond　of

her　company；　and　sings　and　plays　duets　with　her；　steal　her　heart　as

Piozzi　stole　that　of　the　pretty　and　bright　Mrs。　Thrale；　as　so　many

music…teachers　have　run　away　with　their　pupils'　hearts？　　At　present

she　seems　to　be　getting　along　very　placidly　and　contentedly　with　her

young　friend　the　Tutor。　　There　is　something　quite　charming　in　their

relations　with　each　other。　　He　knows　many　things　she　does　not；　for　he

is　reckoned　one　of　the　most　learned　in　his　literary　specialty　of　all

the　young　men　of　his　time；　and　it　can　be　a　question　of　only　a　few

years　when　some　first…class　professorship　will　be　offered　him。　　She；

on　the　other　hand；　has　so　much　more　experience；　so　much　more

practical　wisdom；　than　he　has　that　he　consults　her　on　many　every…day

questions；　as　he　did；　or　made　believe　do；　about　that　of　making　love

to　one　of　the　two　Annexes。　　I　had　thought；　when　we　first　sat　round

the　tea…table；　that　she　was　good　for　the　bit　of　romance　I　wanted；　but

since　she　has　undertaken　to　be　a　kind　of　half…maternal　friend　to　the

young　Tutor；　I　am　afraid　I　shall　have　to　give　her　up　as　the　heroine

of　a　romantic　episode。　　It　would　be　a　pity　if　there　were　nothing　to

commend　these　papers　to　those　who　take　up　this　periodical　but　essays；

more　or　less　significant；　on　subjects　more　or　less　interesting　to　the

jaded　and　impatient　readers　of　the　numberless　stories　and

entertaining　articles　which　crowd　the　magazines　of　this　prolific

period。　　A　whole　year　of　a　tea…table　as　large　as　ours　without　a

single　love　passage　in　it　would　be　discreditable　to　the　company。　　We

must　find　one；　or　make　one；　before　the　tea…things　are　taken　away　and

the　table　is　no　longer　spread。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Dictator　turns　preacher。



We　have　so　many　light　and　playful　talks　over　the　teacups　that　some

readers　may　be　surprised　to　find　us　taking　up　the　most　serious　and

solemn　subject　which　can　occupy　a　human　intelligence。　　The　sudden

appearance　among　our　New　England　Protestants　of　the　doctrine　of

purgatory　as　a　possibility；　or　even　probability；　has　startled　the

descendants　of　the　Puritans。　　It　has　naturally　led　to　a

reconsideration　of　the　doctrine　of　eternal　punishment。　　It　is　on　that

subject　that　Number　Five　and　I　have　talked　together。　　I　love　to

listen　to　her；　for　she　talks　from　the　promptings　of　a　true　woman's

heart。　　I　love　to　talk　to　her；　for　I　learn　my　own　thoughts　better　in

that　way　than　in　any　other　〃L'appetit　vient　en　mangeant；〃　the　French

saying　has　it。　　〃L'esprit　vient　en　causant；〃　that　is；　if　one　can　find

the　right　persons　to　talk　with。



The　subject　which　has　specially　interested　Number　Five　and　myself；　of

late；　was　suggested　to　me　in　the　following　way。



Some　two　years　ago　I　received　a　letter　from　a　clergyman　who　bears　by

inheritance　one　of　the　most　distinguished　names　which　has　done　honor

to　the　American　〃Orthodox〃　pulpit。　　This　letter　requested　of　me　〃a

contribution　to　a　proposed　work　which　was　to　present　in　their　own

language　the　views　of　'many　men　of　many　minds'　on　the　subject　of

future　punishment。　　It　was　in　my　mind　to　let　the　public　hear　not　only

from　professional　theologians；　but　from　other　professions；　as　from

jurists　on　the　alleged　but　disputed　value　of　the　hangman's　whip

overhanging　the　witness…box；　and　from　physicians　on　the　working　of

beliefs　about　the　future　life　in　the　minds　of　the　dangerously　sick。

And　I　could　not　help　thinking　what　a　good　thing　it　would　be　to　draw

out　the　present　writer　upon　his　favorite　borderland　between　the

spiritual　and　the　material。〃　　The　communication　came　to　me；　as　the

writer　reminds　me　in　a　recent　letter；　at　a　〃painfully　inopportune

time；〃　and　though　it　was　courteously　answered；　was　not　made　the

subject　of　a　special　reply。



This　request　confers　upon　me　a　certain　right　to　express　my　opinion　on

this　weighty　subject　without　fear　and　without　reproach　even　from

those　who　might　be　ready　to　take　offence　at　one　of　the　laity　for

meddling　with　pulpit　questions。　　It　shows　also　that　this　is　not　a

dead　issue　in　our　community；　as　some　of　the　younger　generation　seem

to　think。　　There　are　some；　there　may　be　many；　who　would　like　to　hear

what　impressions　one　has　received　on　the　subject　referred　to；　after　a

long　life　in　which　he　has　heard　and　read　a　great　deal　about　the

matter。　　There　is　a　certain　gravity　in　the　position　of　one　who　is；　in

the　order　of　nature　very　near　the　undiscovered　country。　　A　man　who

has　passed　his　eighth　decade　feels　as　if　be　were　already　in　th